Trump Card
by Mandourage
Summary: It is time for Jackson to finally make a succesful end to his failed mission. However, will he be able to do so and who or what will help him get it done?
1. The Beginning

_It was hot. It was aching hot outside. But not only outside. Inside she was burning up. It had been over a year and she was not used to hands gripping her skin in places she had not been touched for too long. No, it was so unusual, this whole experience. She decided she would savior it forever. _

_Fighting hard against thinking of all the wrong reasons for this to happen, she let out a moan of excitement. His hands were like silk on her skin, his tongue like honey in her mouth. She had lost all reason the second he had placed his lips on hers. Lips that were now so swollen and red from the undivided attention they had been receiving all night. And it wasn't even morning yet._

_Sweat was dripping down from their bodies and still it was impossible to stop. It was as if they had been made for this, as if they were glued together, with this twisted love neither of them could seem to stop._

_Higher and higher she went, riding on the ecstasy of their joined bodies moving together. A low moan managed to escape his lips, which drove her to the verge of exploding. It wasn't until he forced her to look at him, until she was eye to eye with his crystal blue stare, that she couldn't take anymore. Just one more thrust, one more, and she would be able to leave it all behind, just, just…._

Sheets were thrown aside as she sat up suddenly, sweat still dripping down her body. Lisa took a glance in the mirror. Her face was all flushed and her body was still throbbing. She couldn't believe she just had another one of these dreams and had woken up like this. All sweaty and excited. God, she was so hot. She felt so suffocated by the thick summer air that drifted through her open windows into her dark bedroom. It had been this hot outside for days on end.

Lisa usually slept naked, but not anymore. Even when she was so hot she could barely sleep. Almost all of her habits had changed drastically ever since the man which she just had a very sensual dream about, decided to terrorize her on the red eye flight from Texas to Miami. No more bay breezes for Lisa. No more late night movies. No.

She had taken to going out at least twice a week, taking more breaks from her job while doing so, in order to get the excitement back in her life while still managing to maintain some sort of routine. She had replaced bay breezes with martini's and going to late night movies had become watching the comedy marathon each Wednesday night. However, on occasion she still ordered a bay breeze, but not without glancing every way first somehow trying to make sure nobody familiar to her would see it so she could pretend it had never happened.

Waking up in the middle of the night craving for scrambled eggs had been one of the habits Lisa hadn't been able to shake. She usually never slept through the whole night; always woke up exactly 5 minutes before three a.m., and then she would get up and make herself some scrambled eggs, with a big glass of diet coke, check her appearance in the mirror (it had become another habit) and get back to bed.

Lately she had been moving on with her life, making sure she was thinking of herself too and not just pleasing everybody else around her. But it had been hard. After all, she was a born people pleaser and you can't deny what's in your genes.

Still, every now and then, she would buy herself a gift just to compliment herself on the fact she had been dealing with the whole red eye situation so well.

No she hadn't thought about Jackson since he had been taken to the hospital after her father had made Jackson's body a few bullet holes richer. Well, maybe once then, when he had been on trial. Or a second time maybe when she had heard he had escaped high security prison. But after that, she had banned him from her mind.

Not tonight though. Or any other night when she woke up from that dream.

The clock read 3:55 a.m. when she woke up again from a huge thump outside of her room. _What the hell was that?_ It certainly wasn't the usual thump the drycleaner made once a night. This had been far too loud to be anything but a human walking into something.

Not a second did it cross her mind that it could've been Jackson Rippner. Not one. Not even when she heard a knife breaking the lock of her bedroom door. Yeah, so what, she kept her bedroom door locked. It was for when she ended up in situations like this. So that she would still have a little time. To escape.

And so Lisa didn't know how fast to get out of bed, run out and lock herself in the bathroom. But where to go from there? There wasn't any way back to the hallway without going through her bedroom first. She couldn't imagine sitting here and waiting for the worst. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and landed on her razor. Without a moment of hesitation she took the razor from the cabinet and hid behind the shower curtain. Whomever was out there, they could always think she was not home. No, she wasn't scared, or shaking for that matter. Her hands were tightened around the razor as she listened carefully to each sound she heard.

Someone was walking through her bedroom.

"Liiisa."

There was a voice that belonged to the someone. And again, no, she wasn't surprised at all when she recognized it. Even when the voice it had a slight rasp to it.

"Come on Leese, I know you're in there." The voice was closer now. She could hear a slight rattle coming from the door and immediately realized the person was trying to get in. She couldn't bear to think of his name. No, it would only make things more complicated.

While she was planning her next move her brain went into overdrive. Several thoughts entered her mind at once. _What the hell was she to do now? Why did she remove that window in her bathroom four years ago? Why was he here? Was she going to die?_

Her breathing quickened and she could hear the steady thumping of her heart increasing it's speed. It seemed as if it took ages for him to finally break the lock. And when he did, she closed her eyes in a reflex of what was coming next. But there was nothing. Not even when she waited two minutes with such a tight grip on the razor that she accidentally cut herself and didn't even realize it. Not even when she opened the shower curtain and got out of the bath. And finally, not even when she walked through the now open bathroom door into her bedroom once again. She should've thought about this. She should've realized he would want to trick her into coming out of hiding. How could she be so stupid?

All these thoughts came at once when she was grabbed from behind and shoved against her own bedroom wall.

"Now we finally meet again, huh, Leese? Isn't that exciting?"

It was _Jackson_. It was _Jackson Rippner_. A shudder went through her body when she thought of his name and she tried to wriggle her way out of his grasp.

"Not so happy to see me, then? How come, huh? Aw, you're not scared of me, are you?"

Lisa opened her eyes with a certain determination she hadn't got several minutes ago and spat in his face.

"Do you think I would tell you this, _Jack_, even if it were so?"

His crystal blue eyes blazed as he sneered at her. With a quick move she hadn't anticipated he slapped her in the face and dragged her over to her bed. While he pushed her onto her bed he kept her arm in a firm grasp and placed himself on top of her. Lisa's face flushed out of fear as she now tried in a futile attempt to kick him in the groin.

"You bastard, get off of me!"

Instead Jackson tightened his grip on her arms and placed them above her head. He took them both in one hand and his other traveled down her body where he finally let it rest on her hips. A smirk appeared on his face.

"So, I think this is quite the improvement. Now we can finally talk business. After all, we don't need your foul mouth taking the pleasure out of this whole meeting."

His face turned serious once again as he looked down on her. _What was going to happen now? Was he going to rape her? Please no, no, no, nononono._ Lisa looked away and went stiff as the hand which was on her hips just seconds ago was now under her shirt, going higher and higher and just when she thought he would place it on her breast it stopped moving. In all the consternation she hadn't realized he had his face in her neck, his breath tickling her ear. She could hear the amusement in his voice as he spoke.

"Now, Leese. Don't jump to conclusions too quickly. Would I ever do something to you against your will? Oh, oops! I think I unfortunately broke that rule before. Ah well. Let me rephrase that. Would I ever _rape_ you Leese?"

When he said this his gaze was once more upon her, his hard cold eyes staring unblinkingly into her frightened ones.

Lisa let out a shudder and still wasn't able to find the clear-thinking Lisa from the plane, from just a few seconds ago even, to rationalize the whole situation and give a fitting retort to Jackson's verbal punch. So instead she closed her eyes and repeated over and over again: _this is not real. This is not real. It's not. It's. not. Real._

She could hear Jackson laughing at her antics and with a start she realized he had released her. She immediately sat up trying to get some footing on the side of the bed, but it was all in vain. He had handcuffed her to the bed. Lisa let out a groan of frustration and slumped back against the headboard of the bed.

Jackson was standing by the bedside looking down on her.

"Never thought you had such a kinky side, Leese. Well, I guess male driven fact based logic doesn't get you everywhere these days. Especially when analyzing women with such lack of rational thinking."

Finally, with the greatest effort, Lisa managed to speak in a bare whisper.

"Why are you here Jackson?"

It seemed like the entirely wrong thing to ask as soon as she saw his face when she had vocalized the question. His facial expression returned to the usual scowl, his eyes were once again devoid of all emotion. She wanted to keep herself on his emotional side, it was, after all, the side she could influence the best.

"Quite the interesting thing you ask there, Leese. I guess you learned a thing or two about actually asking _relevant _questions while I was away. I'll consider answering this one. Give me a moment,"

His face screwed up as if to ponder her question. "Uhmmmm,"

Lisa rolled her eyes at him as he sat down on the bed next to her still pretending to consider answering her question. After 2 more minutes he finally spoke.

"Ok. I decided to answer your question. Now, where to start."


	2. Enemies With Benefits

**A/N: Thank you so much guys for the kind reviews. It really made my day! Here's chapter two, hope you still like it ;). I haven't got the story completely mapped out (yet), so if you have any idea's, they are welcome.**

**Chapter 2 – Enemies with benefits**

_Paddle through this war of nerves_

_When your life, it takes a turn_

_What I have is what I feel_

_Well in my mind, you're lying here_

_I don't ever want to feel pain_

_Want to be, ready when you call my name_

_I don't ever want to feel fear_

'_Cause every night, feels alright, when you're near_

_Don't want to be like a voice without words_

_Don't want to be, this war of nerves_

_--All Saints-War of Nerves_

Whatever reason Jackson was here for, whatever dream she'd had about him in the past few months, Lisa would never be his voluntary captive. It'd be the last thing she'd do. The Jackson from her dreams was loving and deep down inside she knew that real life Jackson would never be able to be that. Even when she wanted him to so badly.

A while ago, back when she was still recovering from the trauma Jackson had given her, she'd made one new goal in life for herself. No, not the one about it never happening again. She now knew it had been foolish to make herself live up to that resolution. After all, what did she know about what life had in store for her?

A choice had been made by her back when she had been on the turning point in her life; 9 months after Jackson had happened.

For starters, she'd decided to take the reigns where she could and leave the rest to fate. She would live her life day by day; not look too far ahead, not look to the past either. Back then it had been the time to take on a distant behavior towards what had happened to her. It belonged to the past, now. She wasn't going to look back anymore, but she wasn't going to try to block it out and forget that it'd ever happened, either. After all, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger but that doesn't mean you forget about what almost cost you your life. You just live on and learn from it. Suck it up, as Jackson would've said.

With that distance also came distance towards the man himself. Even though she wouldn't have to be facing him everyday, Lisa decided the more distance she could put between them the better, even though it was just in her mind. So she got rid of the name Jack. From now on, the only name that would escape her lips when she was talking about the man would be Jackson.

Lisa was taken out of her reverie by the loud and irritatingly rasping voice of Jackson.

"I came back here, not just because of your pretty face, before you get any ideas." Jackson grinned in an evil way as he looked at her.

"It's just this little souvenir I forgot to take with me when I was over at your dad's house. You know, the place where you so lovingly shot me in the shoulder."

Lisa didn't hear the venom in his voice for otherwise she would've thought twice about what she said next.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I should've kissed your feet of course for the loving way in which _you _treated me."

She realized when she had said this that Jackson wasn't very good in holding back his anger. Even when he was the professional he claimed he was.

Jackson grabbed her face in his bony hands once again and slammed her hard against the headboard of the bed.

"Be careful with what you say, Leese. We both know how nasty things can get otherwise."

Even though Lisa knew he would never rape her, for whatever twisted reason, she couldn't help but hear a double meaning in his voice. She calmed down and forced herself to stop struggling to get free. Right now it wouldn't get her anywhere anyway. If she could just try to gain his trust she might be able to afford to break it again later.

Jackson felt Lisa stop trying to escape from his grasp and chuckled. "That a girl. I knew you were smart. Now, if you would just listen for once."

She sighed in frustration and slumped back on the bed.

"Can I take a rain check?" Jackson shot her a warning glance and continued his speech.

"It all comes down to you, Leese. If you just return the card I accidentally dropped at your dad's place no harm will be done to anybody."

"Excuse me?" Lisa started when he said this. What did he mean, no harm done?

"Ah, so you got my little hint. Well, it isn't like you have a choice here. There will be consequences if you decide to be uncooperative."

_Well it isn't like that is very surprising _ thought Lisa. Then why was she surprised, anyway? He'd said before he hadn't just come back to share a cup of coffee with her. A little more scared now but still not bound to give up she broke the eye contact between them and started fiddling with her pajama pants.

Lisa calmed herself down again and forced herself to think more like him. Maybe she could get to the emotional phase later on. It seemed as if it wasn't really working well right now, so she decided to let it rest for a bit.

"Listen Jackson I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen any card lying around anywhere."

Jackson pondered her answer for a second before deciding she was lying to him. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time.

"Don't lie to me, Leese. We all know how bad you are at that."

This was the most inconvenient situation. Not only had she no idea what the hell he was talking about, he didn't believe she had no idea either. This could get ugly.

"Let me clarify." Jackson grunted and obviously annoyed he started pacing around the bed.

"When you decided to shoot me in the shoulder, and we had this little action scene after that which almost resulted in me dying, my business card fell out of my pocket. Apparently."

He paused at the end of the bed and looked her squarely in the eye once more.

"This normally wouldn't be a problem hadn't it been for the fact that we know there are cops out there looking for me and if they find this card –_when_ they find this card," his voice held a dangerous edge to it as he said this, "they are likely to trace the whole organization I work for."

Lisa felt her courage return once more now she realized she was his trump card in this whole situation. If the cops found this business card before he did, shit would definitely hit the van. For him, anyway. Inside Lisa smiled. She could finally take the upper hand in this matter.

"What makes you think they haven't found the card already? They searched through the whole crime scene, you know. If you lost it there I'm sure they would've found it."

Jackson tilted his head and made a clicking noise with his tongue. "Tsk. Tsk. Leese. And here I was thinking you were a smart girl."

A cool breeze filled the blazing hot room as both people were caught in the moment. Lisa still trying to figure out how the hell this card hadn't been found by the police, Jackson trying to find a way to get Lisa to talk to him in a sensible way. He just knew for sure she had this card somewhere, waiting for the right moment to hand it over to the police. The thought of why she hadn't done so earlier never even crossed his mind.

The fire in Lisa's eyes returned once more as she spoke.

"Jack I'm not going to be your compliant slave anymore. I have a new life now, and I do not intend to give it up just for you to get your business card back."

She took a deep breath and sat herself more comfortably on the bed. She had to get some control over her temper. If she did that, she had another advantage over Jackson.

The haunted look in her eyes disappeared and she looked up to stare at him in amusement. "Even if I had it hidden somewhere, though, you really think I would tell you?"

Ever since Jackson managed to outsmart the prison security guards, it had been his mission to get the card back. Not because this card in itself was so interesting for him, but because it could –as fate would have it- mean the downfall of his whole organization. And while Lisa wanted nothing more than for this to happen, Jackson rather had it tucked safely in his pocket. Now it was time for him to think of a strategy to get Lisa to give him the information he needed. He knew this wouldn't be an easy task; she had the urge to lie to him –for whatever reason he didn't know- and even when she didn't lie –Jackson was smart but sadly enough he lacked any emotional qualities, which made it impossible for him to get close to guessing her thoughts from the way she acted. Even though they were both sides of the same coin, both of them hard and reasonable when put in a dangerous situation, their difference in thinking before the acting made it almost impossible for them to ever understand each other completely. Lisa could never hate Jackson for a 100, but she could never completely love him either. They had a tangled relationship which was most likely not getting less complicated any time soon.

Jackson decided to ignore Lisa's remark and since then three hours of silence had gone by. He had always been a man of plans, but even though he'd had enough time in prison to figure out how to tackle the situation, he had let himself get blinded by the rage and primal instinct to see Lisa again. So instead of cooking up a good plan, he'd gone straight to Lisa the first chance he'd got and hadn't thought of anything else ever since.

_First I get her to search the house_.

He knew he could handle her trying to escape, or struggling against him. Threatening her with her father's life had been his strategy in the past, but since he was more or less on his own now, he took to an entirely different approach. Yes, he had mentioned to her earlier there would be consequences, but she would never know that this was, in fact, an empty threat. At least as far as putting her loved ones in danger went, anyway.

For Jackson was known for never lying. And this time would be no different. This time it would be her life on the line.

He had no trouble whatsoever with killing her. After all, it was his fact based logic that had the upper hand in his mind. But right now he just needed her. Right now she was just a means to an end, maybe even a prisoner with benefits…

Finally getting up from the floor Jackson took off Lisa's handcuffs and still made sure he had a good grip on her arm if she stupidly tried to escape again.

"Alright Leese, let's get going now. We're going for a little tour through the house. After all, last time I was here it was such a quick visit."

Jackson smirked and paused in his attempt to drag her out of the bedroom.

Shocked, Lisa turned to look at him as he continued his journey through the hallway, her arm twisted uncomfortably in his grip, him all the while staring at her with fire in his icy eyes.

Oh, yes, Lisa knew very well what he was talking about.

And she hated herself for it.


	3. Interlude

**A/N: People I'm so sorry if my writing was so confusing! I now merged the two interludes together and posted them again, it's really how it should be, too. Two interludes just really don't make any sense, haha. Just to clear up a few confuzzling moments, Joe is NOT Jackson. Nor will he ever be. He just LOOKS like Jackson. Furthermore, this interlude takes place one year after the red eye flight. Chapter one and two take place five years after the red eye flight. Lisa moved into a new apartment (In Miami, for the record) one year after her confrontation with Jackson on the red eye flight, and right after this interlude (when I say after this interlude I don't mean in chapter five but I mean in the sense of time, so after the situation in this interlude took place) the removing of the window in the bathroom takes place. **

**Also, the first part that's italic in this interlude is when Lisa looks back on the events of that same evening. Chapter four will continue the events where 2 left off. Hope that clears up any confusing parts.**

**I'm sorry again! I just tend to write in a way which even makes me wonder: "hmm, what the hell did you just WRITE?" ehe. Now, to get on with the story, people! Enjoy. **

Chapter 3 -- Interlude

_If things were different  
I'd say hey  
What's up anyway? _

_But things are strange  
And weird, insane  
They don't feel like  
This is familiar _

_If things were different  
I'd paint you, colour you, a thousand times  
I'd say things and never deny  
I'd lie _

_But things are strange  
It's mad, a rage  
You came and saw and looked and went  
You made me sad and blind and dead _

_If things were different  
I'd be jolly good and not stuck here  
I'd be a grass so green a bird so high  
In the sky _

_I'd be a laugh a jump a breath of air  
Never a care  
In the world or outside  
I'd be safe and sound and I'd run around  
Away from pain and daze _

_But things are strange  
You are a rage  
A daze comes over me  
You came you saw  
I looked and fell  
I was too blind to see _

_If things were different  
I'd live the lie  
And sigh, and dream, and need and try  
But things are strange  
They're weird, insane  
When you decide to fly  
It's not at all the pain,  
The fall,  
But the way you made me cry _

_Poem by me ©2006_

It had been a beautiful day out side, the sun having warmed the tiles so badly that it had taken at least until midnight before people had been able walk their gardens with bare feet. Even though it was late, it hadn't cooled down one bit. There was no wind, so the hot and almost suffocating air wasn't gone yet.

Somewhere in a tidy street in Miami there was one house which still had the lights on at three a.m., the dark haired woman taking no notice of the great attraction it would have on the mosquito's. She stood on the balcony, the lights of the room blazing behind her tiny frame. Her face tear stained and her expression tired she was looking blankly ahead, even though all she could see was darkness.

Someone out late at night passing this particular house would've stopped to stare at such unusualness. It would've been just another human urge fulfilled; another hungry mind fed with facts about other people's lives.

But there was no one out who saw Lisa standing there. She was the only one awake in the street at that time of night. Or so she thought.

Since Lisa'd moved into her new apartment, she'd made herself a resolution to figure out a new routine before going to bed, but she hadn't been successful yet. She just couldn't get used to her new surroundings.

It had been another one of those nights when she hadn't been able to stop herself. One bay breeze had become another and another until she hadn't been able to keep count anymore much less notice any of her surroundings. She had been slipping up, when the train had just been back on track. Now it seemed as if the whole wide world was collapsing on her. Alcohol always made her more emotional and especially when she had been sitting around all night thinking of no one else but Jackson.

It seemed as if he had slipped into her mind along with the alcohol.

The more alcohol she had drunk, the more vivid his image had become…

_The club was filled with all kinds of people; short, tall, fat or skinny. People with black hair and even some with pink or blue. There was no dress code, still it seemed as if everyone in there knew each other and had decided to go in white. Lisa was the only one, as far as she could tell, with a pink top on. It was the only pink top she owned, this would be the only time she would ever wear it and it would be the only night she would think about nothing for a moment. Not even about pleasing people around her. She felt daring tonight and not at all bothered by the fact she would stand out in this piece of garment. _

_In the beginning Lisa decided to keep herself on the background, drinking her martini to get some courage to dance. Cynthia, although still an employee and that's why Lisa had declined, had insisted on going with her. Lisa was glad she wasn't there now though. This night would have to be a private one, one where she could just let it all out. _

_While slowly sipping her martini she carefully let her eyes wander over the dance floor. It was just a fact she decided –men simply couldn't dance. Or at least most of them. She wouldn't want to sound too negative or arrogant, but it was just a fact. The way they moved, just the lack of rhythm their bodies gave away when they unsuccessfully tried to impress the woman who was dancing closest to them. No, women were far better at that game of flirting with their body. _

_A shiver went down her spine when she realized she was thinking like Jackson. No, this would be the very last time she would think of him tonight. Even when it was in a negative way. Who would only want to think in fact based logic, anyway? Life was all about trying to find a balance between emotion and ratio. At least that was how Lisa would strive to live her life. _

_Determined to keep the promise to herself she put her empty glass down on the nearest lounge table and mingled with the people. The DJ played one of her favorite songs, so she had no trouble with letting herself go and getting lost in the music at all. The party lights were flickering and reflecting all kinds of colors on the sweat coated bodies which made the room seem almost magical._

_It wasn't long before Lisa felt unfamiliar but definitely manly hands on her hips, a sweaty body covering her own. When she tried to turn around the man wouldn't let her but instead starting dancing behind her. Normally Lisa would've thought twice about going along with it, but this time was different. After all, there was alcohol in her body and so her actions were being controlled by a mind with weak mental barriers. So instead of turning around, shoving the man off of herself and leaving him standing all by himself in the middle of the dance floor, she placed her right hand on top of his and continued to sway her hips to the beat._

_It was unknown to her how much time had gone by before she'd started to get tired of dancing with this tall stranger, who's face she hadn't even seen yet. Besides she really craved for a drink. _

_So, Lisa turned around._

_A pair of clear blue eyes met her gaze and shocked to the bone Lisa took one step backwards. She was about to faint from that gaze. The man smiled at her and pulled her closer to him. _

_**NO! How could Jack be here? Hadn't they even recognized him!**_

_Lisa was in such a shock that she didn't realize the man took her to the bar and bought her another martini. It seemed as if she had gone on automatic pilot after seeing his face. _

"_So, you're a martini woman, right? I could tell from the beginning." His smile showed off brilliant white teeth as he offered her a seat on one of the fluffy lounge couches in the corner of the club._

_Lisa blinked and her vision started to clear. This was getting mentally exhausting._

_**He looks so much like Jack.**_

"_Did I guess it right?" The man looked at her as if trying to guess her thoughts all the while still smiling at her. It was almost too friendly._

_**Too much.**_

_She sighed and put a smile on her face. She broke her promise to not please people tonight. Oh, well. She wasn't going to beat herself up for that._

"_Yes, yes, you did, actually. I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?"_

_The man laughed wholeheartedly and put out his hand._

"_My name's Joe. Pleased to meet you miss…?"_

_She took his hand, "Reisert, but please, call me Lisa."_

"_So", Joe sighed and sat back down in his seat, obviously relieved they had come this far. "That was quite the dance, huh?" _

"_Yes, yes, quite." Lisa smiled once more and felt like her face was going to split in two. Maybe all of this smiling wasn't so convincing. But it was routine, it was ritual. That was how people started their first introduction when they had a mutual interest in each other. With nothing but sheer politeness. _

_Time flew by and after a while Lisa felt it wasn't very uncomfortable to talk to Joe, at all. He worked at a post office but his biggest love in life was snowboarding, or so he said. Still a bit cautious Lisa decided to tell him she worked at a hotel, though refrained from telling him which one. He must've gotten the hint because he didn't ask for the name either. _

_After a few more drinks –she'd finally accepted his offer to buy her a bay breeze- and when the club was closing up they exchanged numbers and left the lounge to get their coats._

"_Well, it was very nice meeting you, Joe." Joe helped Lisa get into her coat and took her hand to bring it up to his lips._

"_You need a ride home?" _

"_No, no it's ok. I'll take a cab." Joe got the hint and smiled._

"_Alright. It was very nice meeting you too, Lisa. I'll call you." He winked at her and Lisa laughed when he returned in the door opening after having just left the club to give her one last wave._

_The ride back home was a silent one, although when they met some bumps along the way Lisa was all too aware of her alcohol induced body. Her stomach took a few turns when the taxi speeded up and when they finally reached her house she had to run inside to get to the bathroom on time. She never really had been good at holding her liquor. _

_She emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet, one hand gripping the side of the toilet and the other hand holding her hair back. She had a deja-vu right there. The thought of Jackson made her heave once more and after rinsing her mouth with some water she slumped back against the bathroom wall. _

_**What a miserable end to a great night.**_

Lisa finally closed the curtains and got herself another glass of water. Definitely no scrambled eggs tonight, the thought alone almost made her run for the bathroom again.

She had been very careful at first with talking to Joe, her mind setting out different strategies as how to answer his questions, how to react to certain comments.

Lisa was being emotionally led by her feelings towards Joe, but she would never leave out the rational part either. Yes, she loved how he laughed at first. She loved the compliments he made. But were they without an ulterior motive? Were his smiles genuine? It took some impossible intelligence and supernatural vision to know this after just one conversation, but she wasn't striving to wholly figure him out right in the beginning of their relationship, whatever kind of relationship they might built.

Though after all of the horribleness she'd been through, she finally felt a little bit more confident. There were good guys out there, she realized. She just hadn't known before. After she'd been raped all men had been pigs and her temper had been short when talking to them. But now, after meeting Joe, she felt more open to new feelings. The only thing that frightened her was Joe looked so much like Jackson.

_And I don't even mind._

Lisa sighed, put down her glass of water and let herself fall onto her bed. She was going to try to sleep, even though she was almost positive she wouldn't be able to. Still after a few minutes sleep caught up with her and Lisa's tensed form finally relaxed.

Little did Lisa know it would be the only relaxation she would get in quite a while.

A shadow of a man fell over her face, his right hand slowly reaching out to reach for the needle that was sheathed somewhere deep down in his pocket.

It was meant to go smooth and quick, he would stick the needle in her arm and she would be out for a good amount of time. He would have enough time to search for his business card, then kill her when she awoke. Yes, he would make her death painful and slow. The way she deserved it.

But it seemed it was not meant to go that way, at all. Luck turned its back on Jackson as Lisa awoke from the faintest touch on her arm. He had not been able to control himself, again. And now the faintest touch would have huge consequences.

It was as if Lisa had expected for this to happen, for Jackson to escape prison. She rolled over to the other side of the bed with an alertness Jackson never knew she had, catching him off guard for just a moment.

Lisa was prepared, after all, just one year had gone by since Jackson's trial. She was still overly cautious when it came to her own security. Even though she had changed habits and had tried to move on, she still kept a knife under her pillow. And she'd never been so thankful for following her own intuition.

In one quick movement Lisa took the knife and stood up on the other side of the bed, thrusting it out in front of her.

"You stay away from me. You just stay where you are."

She was surprised at how clear-headed she felt, even after all the alcohol she'd had that night. While looking into Jackson's eyes she realized he looked more like Joe then she'd even imagined. And suddenly she felt a huge bile rise in her throat.

She would never give up, she would fight until she died. If he would be able to kill her, he certainly wouldn't manage to do so without getting bruised himself. She would make damn sure of that.

A great laugh filled the room as Jackson advanced on Lisa.

"Oh, Leese. You still amuse me. Thinking I will go and take your orders. Still need to work on that naivety of yours, don't we."

Lisa watched his every move, taking in every inch of him to make sure she could prevent him from catching her off guard or making any movement she wouldn't expect.

"It's not really naivety, Jack. It's just me still believing I can get through your thick-headedness. God, you should even be thankful! Now I finally realize you are a hopeless case, though."

When she saw Jackson's face she realized she had scored. 1-0 for her. Though it was quite nice she could outsmart him verbally, she still had to overpower him, one way or another, physically. And that was a more difficult task. One she was not sure she would be able to pull off.

Jackson knew he had to find some way to get around the knife she held in her hand. He couldn't take the risk in just grabbing for her; if she moved her hand just a fraction to the left the knife would be in his chest. And he didn't exactly want for that to happen. Maybe he could distract her by talking to her.

"Now, now Leese. Let's keep it civil. Aren't you a bit curious as to why I'm here, anyway?"

Lisa trembled, her hands still clutching the knife with a huge determination it was going to end up in his chest.

"No, I'm not. I only want you out of here. Now, just go, before my boyfriend gets here."

Jackson burst out laughing and started to pull the bed sheets back.

"Oh you mean… what was his name… Joe? Come on Leese, haven't you learned anything since our last meeting? Lying doesn't get you anywhere. Now, why don't you just hand over that knife, hmm? We both know you're not going to use it anyway."

Lisa eyed him pulling on the sheets and couldn't stop herself.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Jackson ignored her question, sat down on the bed and held out his hand for Lisa to give him the knife. Lisa only took one step backwards, her back pushed up against the wall. She didn't want to but she was so scared she could barely stand. She knew what he was capable of, after all, he really intended to kill her the last time they'd met, and if it hadn't been for her dad…

Lisa quickly shook her head and stood her ground. She was going to put that knife where it belonged, even if it took her whole night.

"Ok. Enough talking now."

In one swift motion Lisa felt the knife being pulled out of her hand. Her head banged back against the wall and her sight became black for a second, but that didn't stop her from kicking out, hoping she would hit her target. Her foot collided with something of Jackson, because she heard him groan and when her sight returned she saw him doubled over, his hands clutching a sensitive area of his body. It took Lisa only one second to get to the other side of the room, but before her hands were around the doorknob she was being pulled back again and with just one push she flew through the air and ended up on the bed. Hysteria got a hold of her and with the sudden rush of adrenaline that flowed through her body she kicked and screamed at Jackson, hoping somehow she would hit him. But to no avail.

"Shut UP Leese, before I do something I'll regret."

Lisa immediately stopped her movement, having recognized the seriousness in Jackson's voice.

After this it was quiet for quite some time, the only sound that could be heard was their steady breathing.

There was a staring contest going on, and neither of them was planning on backing down any time soon. It was not fair play though, Jackson of course being the one to cheat first. He pressed her into the bed with his body and let his hand wander in places he knew would give Lisa goose bumps. Lisa, however, wasn't going to swallow the last bit of pride she had.

But Jackson wasn't going to risk giving her the impression she still had some power over him, either. Though she wasn't under such an impression at all, Jackson didn't know this. He was so caught up in what he thought was his weakness; the fact that he couldn't let Lisa go and the fact that he thought she knew this. She was on his mind all the time and Jackson saw this as his only weakness, the one thing that could cause him to fail the mission he had set out for himself. What he didn't know however, was that this infatuation with Lisa wasn't a weakness at all. It was a sign of him being human. But the fact that he _saw_ it as a weakness; _made_ it a weakness. The fact that he was so caught up in thinking about how bad this obsession was, was making him weaker and more distracted by the second. The heaviness of his breathing increased as he still didn't speak.

Lisa felt strange all of a sudden. It seemed as if some sort of drug had gotten hold of her that made her trivialize the whole situation. She had lost her fear somehow, even though she should've been more scared than ever with Jackson on top of her and his hand on her stomach, still moving upwards. But she wasn't. Instead she felt a sudden rush of heat go through her body, her eyes drooping slightly.

_Man do I feel tired now._

Above her Jackson smiled as he threw the now empty needle to the side. He pushed them both up on the bed and got rid of any hesitation he'd had before. She would now never remember any of this and he would be able to escape easily…

_Jackson turned his back on her, moving forward to walk around the bed. Lisa knew this would be her only chance, and she had to grab it. Her head still spinning slightly from the bay breezes and the sudden appearance of Jackson, she dashed forward and jumped on his back. In one swift motion the knife was in between his shoulder blades. _

_Jackson gave a roar as he stumbled for a second, then pulled himself up to throw Lisa off his back and pull the knife out. With a strength and roughness Lisa had never experienced before he slapped her in the face making her lose her balance and fall, Jackson taking this moment to limp towards the large mirror on the door to examine his wound. Blood was seeping through his neat dress shirt, the stain growing in size by the second. _

_Lisa didn't hesitate for a second and speeded out of the door, her hands gripping the wall along the way trying to keep herself upright. She grabbed the phone of its holder, desperately trying to make her fingers hit the right numbers. _

_9-1-1. _

_The person on the other side of the line spoke with such calmness, it made Lisa realize the extreme seriousness of the situation she was in. If Jackson managed to get hold of her right now, it would surely mean the end for her. She could just feel his anger pulsing through the air from where she was standing. He was still making strange grunting noises, and his footsteps were getting closer by the second. _

"_Yes, this is Lisa and there is a man in my house and he is trying to kill me."_

"_Ma'am if you can please lock yourself in a room, units are on the way."_

_That was all Lisa managed to say as her vision turned black._

Lisa woke up suddenly and sat up straight, her movement greeted by a gasp from someone who was sitting next to her. She immediately turned her head to the right trying to figure out where she was, her haunted gaze met by a concerned one. Next to Lisa sat Cynthia, one of her best friends and also a secretary at the hotel Lisa was manager of. The Lux Atlantic.

"Cynthia, what happened? Is Jackson gone, did he escape? How did I end up in the hospital? All I remember is calling 9-1-1 and then nothing."

Cynthia took Lisa's shaking form in her arms and tried to calm her down.

"Lisa, please do not make yourself so nervous. They caught Jackson, they did. He's behind bars once again."

Lisa sighed and turned to look Cynthia in the eye.

"You mean that? He has no chance of escaping this time?"

"No. They put him in an isolated cell. There's no way he's able to get out of there."

A sudden dizziness came over her and she gently let her head rest against the pillow.

"So how long did it take for the units to get there after I called them? Do they know what happened to me? Why did I pass out?"

Cynthia turned and avoided Lisa's gaze.

"Lisa, you never called 9-1-1. Ned from next door heard screaming and so he called. But they found you passed out on your bed, with no clothes on."

Lisa felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. What the hell had happened? She was sure she had managed to escape from Jackson and call the police… but now Cynthia's information made her all confused.

"Lisa, you were drugged by Jackson. It made you hallucinate and fall asleep, thinking you had caught him, when really he-he…"

Cynthia paused and took Lisa's hand in hers. She wasn't able to look her in the eye and this wasn't a good sign to Lisa.

"What! What is it, Cynthia? I can handle it, you know I've been through worse before."

Lisa became aware of the sudden silence that filled the room, it seemed like the silence before the storm.

"He-he…. He raped you, Lisa. He made sure you were out cold and then he took advantage of you."


	4. Secrets Revealed

**A/N.. No guys, I'm not dead! Haha. Hope everyone enjoys the newest instalment. **

Chapter 4 –Secrets Revealed

It had taken her every ounce of self restraint to not try for another escape. She had been sure, later, if she had done it, it would've worked. The way Jackson had held her when he had dragged her throughout the house to find the missing card had filled her with disgust –she kept imagining how his hands had been there before, on her arms, her stomach, her most intimate places. And she hadn't even been able to do anything about it at the time.

The most cruel thing about it was, she still couldn't help but dream about him. It was some sort of sick and twisted mind game it seemed he had played on her, because whatever she did, she still dreamed about him. After three years, she still did. And every dream was the same. He would be making love to her. In her dreams he was so different, in her dreams he was loveable. Likeable. Was it just her mind trying to block out that Jackson was in fact capable of doing something so bad as raping her? Or did she just not want to believe it? Why was she so surprised, anyway? Was it really worse than knocking her out cold and trying to kill her? Why?

_Why, why, why, why… why…?_

Stars started to swim in front of Lisa's eyes and she gently massaged her temples with her fingers. She had to start by calming down if she ever wanted to get out of there.

She'd never believed Jackson to be a rapist. A cruel man, yes. But also calculating and professional. And let's not forget rational. But someone who took their pleasure out of forcing themselves on harmless women? No.

Even if someone had come up to her to tell her that on the red eye flight, she wouldn't have believed it. Even after all of his terrorizing actions, she had been convinced he would stay professional about the job. Just get it over with, as he had mentioned in not so many words so many times before. It seemed it had been her greatest naivety to hold that thought and live by it.

Of course Jackson was nothing better than the rapist. Why would he be, anyway? What did he have to lose, really, if you looked at it from his point of view? Nothing. If they ever found out about the rape, it wouldn't even matter, anyway. The police was already looking for him and he would be locked up in no time for the rest of his life if they found him. No rape could make his punishment worse. Lisa was sure of that.

In the meantime though she had to put up with him while he worked out his little plan of terrorizing her. If she just knew what kind of stupid card he was talking about she could find a way to escape. She was sure she would catch him off guard long enough when she handed him the card. A triumphant feeling washed over her. Wouldn't it be great if she was able to do that… to outsmart him. But how in the world would she be able to find this card with his eyes watching her 24-7? Lisa closed her eyes in defeat. There was no possibility. He had shown her before that no matter how hard she tried he would still be able to get her to stumble and fall. She was at his mercy.

A flicker of light came through the keyhole of the closed door. Lisa had been locked up in her own basement after Jackson had thrown an angry fit when he'd finally realized she really didn't have the business card he was so intend on finding. She had been there for three hours now, and he had showed up only once to offer her lunch. She wasn't really grieving about that. It gave her more time to think about a new plan. Her mind would go into debate mode, and the process would keep on repeating itself:

-_Oh My God what am I to do?_

_- Jesus Christ calm down Lisa. Do you want him to get a chance to rape you again?_

_- No, no, please no. I will never get out of here. I will never-_

_- Shut. Up. You won't if you keep on whining. Now get your scrawny ass up from this nasty floor and start _

_looking for a way out._

_- No, he will hear me and then I will be in even more trouble._

_- More trouble? How do you see that, really? More trouble than being locked up and raped? Things cannot get any worse, Lisa. Now please listen to the rational part of your brain. Thank you._

_- Ok. I will. I will get out of here. _

_- Yes, finally. _

_- But…. How?_

And again she would end up with asking herself the first question. Her thinking was going in circles. She would panic, and calm down. Be emotional, then rational. Be scared, then determined. And if Jackson didn't show up any time soon which would force her to make a decision she would go crazy from analyzing every detail and every way her plan in the making could go wrong.

In the end it seemed she'd fallen asleep because when she woke up she found herself sprawled out on the hard concrete floor, the light coming from under the door so bright it was almost unnatural.

Lisa thought about life for a moment. If you thought about it people didn't really have much time to live. To actually do the things they wanted to do. Most of their lives they were busy with getting themselves to the point where they've reached their goals; living life how they wanted to live it. But then, before they knew it, life would be over. People lived their lives too much like it was never going to end. They wasted so much time. With everything. With work, hesitating on difficult matters, thinking twice when they shouldn't, not thinking twice when they should, it was almost unbearable to think about. But since Lisa had nothing physical to do, her brain worked itself into a stupor to make up for the lack of physical activity.

When she took it to her own life; she realized to her own disappointment she had been the same. Always looking back on the past. With the rape, with her job, her parents' divorce. If she ever got out of this alive she would make drastic changes and actually start living by her grandmothers' advice.

And then the door opened to reveal a dishevelled Jackson standing in the doorway. His hair was all messy and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. As she took in his appearance she also realized he was still wearing the same clothes from, what was it.. yesterday? The day before yesterday? Lisa absolutely had no concept of time.

He stood there for several moments when Lisa realized she really wanted to know how much time had gone by. And if he wasn't going to start by saying something, she definitely would.

"What time is it?"

That line was the first one she'd spoken in quite a while, so the roughness of her voice got Jackson's attention immediately when it seemed he'd totally forgotten what he went to visit Lisa for.

"It's 8 in the evening. You've been here for about 14 hours."

Lisa was used to Jackson's voice being quite emotionless, but this time it was down right robot like. She gave a great sigh as Jackson took one step forward to grab her by the arm.

"So, what happens now?"

Jackson stopped his actions for a moment and it finally seemed he was really _looking_ at her, like she was _there_ and not like he was in some dream world. He inhaled and eyed her warily.

"Well, as it seems you turned out to be true to your word for once, you are going to help me find a way to find this business card."

Though Lisa'd never thought she would think this, but Jackson was getting quite predictable. Which was a good sign for her. She thought she'd found a good way to get out of this hellhole right when he breathed the last word of the sentence. Yes, she had found a way to escape.

"Okay Jackson. Let's give it a try. What's your plan?"

The emotionless Jackson from just a few seconds ago had turned surprised all of sudden as he turned around to twist her arm as if trying to make her start struggling or fighting against him.

"I see you are finally learning something."

Lisa grimaced from the tight grip he had on her arm, not to mention the unnatural way her arm was now held.

"Well, what do you want me to say, huh? If I ask those questions I'm stupid. If I don't you twist my arm. What could I ever do to satisfy you!"

Lisa screamed the last words as she managed to break free from his grasp. This seemed to satisfy Jackson, however. His eyes had a mischievous gleam in them as he spoke.

"That, is quite an interesting question you ask me there, Leese. What _could_ you do to satisfy me? Hmm… is there even a way for you to satisfy me? What do you think? You think there is something hidden inside of you that could satisfy me?"

Lisa realized where this was going even before she heard his voice.

Satisfy.

S-a-t-i-s-f-y.

Why was she being so thoughtless around this man? Hadn't she learned by now she couldn't afford to be this careless where Jackson was concerned?

Nothing happened when Lisa thought he was definitely going to act on that last spoken sentence. Instead a heavy tension filled the air, and she was getting tired of being jerked around with no positive future perspective whatsoever. So Lisa was going to end this surreal situation right there and right then.

"Well, Jackson. What are you waiting for. Are you going to take me upstairs with you or not? I want to get this over with. In fact, I'm sick and _tired_ of sitting here being your obedient little dog."

Lisa was quite satisfied with herself. Jackson had 'hmmphed' and had taken her upstairs -still not without hurting her, though- and had sat her down on the couch. He'd told her for about four times that everything was locked and she wouldn't be able to escape so he wouldn't advise her to try, and only when she finally screamed "fine!" he shut up and hadn't said anything else ever since.

He'd prepared some food for them both and had given her some new clothes to wear for he wasn't going to let her leave any time soon –that was for sure. When she asked him where he had gotten those clothes he hadn't given her an answer, in fact, it had almost seemed like he was ignoring her. It made her wonder; was it because she was somehow invading his personal space now? Wasn't he able to handle her sharp remarks? Or was he just tying the last loose ends together for his plan?

She was still unsure of what this plan was for now, though she was also sure he wasn't going to keep it from her for much longer. He had to find this business card and all the time they spent in her apartment bickering would be risking the fact that the police would find his card even more.

Lisa took the last bite from her chicken sandwich and wiped her mouth clean with a napkin when she spotted Jackson's wallet lying on the salon table. Her eyes flew from left to right to see if Jackson hadn't returned from the bathroom yet and when she found he was nowhere in sight her eyes were drawn to the wallet once again. Could she take the risk? Or was it some trap?

_But what if he walks in when I am just taking a look?_

Again Lisa's curiosity won the battle and she stood up slowly, silently making her way over to the table. She was only one step away from said table when she heard the toilet flush and a sound of a door being opened.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit._

Afterwards she wasn't sure how she did it, but when Jackson appeared in doorway of the living room only seconds later, Lisa was sitting on the couch, legs tucked into the cushions and her hand just reaching out to put her empty plate on the floor.

"Well, finally, Leese, the moment has arrived where I reveal the plan I have been working on for ages."

Jackson smiled in a smug kind of way, made a gesture that Lisa made some room for him to sit down and when she didn't, grabbed her legs and put them back down on the floor.

"You need to realize the importance of your presence in this task, Leese. This isn't the same as putting an arrogant costumer back in their place. This is the real deal."

Lisa didn't break the stare to make him realize she was up for it. After all, she was going to escape this time. Too bad poor Jackson didn't know it yet.

"First we're going to visit my boss. Today I've heard that they're willing to speak with me again, so I'm gonna go there and make sure that they know I'm still interested. Of course you are coming with me. I'll tell you the rest when we've finished talking to my boss."

Lisa's insecurity hit her once again. She'd forgotten there was a whole organisation behind him. How was she ever going to outwit them to escape? Before she'd only thought of escaping from Jackson, now she realized she had to escape from the whole organisation.

She was going to ask him why he wasn't telling her right then what they were going to do next when she suddenly realized they'd also left him rot in prison. Why take him back then?

"But why in the hell did they leave you rot in prison then Jackson?"

Jackson eyed Lisa as if she'd just asked him something incredibly stupid.

"Tsk. Tsk. Leese. I already knew you weren't the most intelligent person, but come on now."

When Lisa didn't answer Jackson faked a surprise and spoke once again,

"You really can't figure that out yourself? Oh, well. Let me tell you then. It's simple really. They just thought it was far too risky. They tried it once before, you know, the first time I visited you after your date with Joe? The police almost found out about the organisation right then when they tried to track me down so I had to turn myself in once again. Of course they just pretended they had caught me, not to damage their reputation, those cocky bastards. As if they could ever catch Jackson Rippner if he isn't willing to get caught,"

He paused for a moment, a triumphant look on his face and caught up in his own arrogance.

"So. Now you know. Now, what I want you to do before we go. You just go and put on some of those nice clothes I bought you, hmm? Wouldn't want you looking like a homeless girl in those dirty clothes you're wearing right now."

Lisa took a glance at her reflection in the window and realized Jackson was right. She was definitely not looking nice at all. The whole mention of the organisation had made Lisa downright depressed and so she tried one more time to trick Jackson.

"You know, I have to let my dad know where I am. He will be worried."

A this time genuinely surprised expression fell over Jackson's face when she said this.

"Wow, Leese. I would never have thought you think so lowly of me that I wouldn't even know your father died 3 years ago."

Lisa immediately turned away from his penetrating gaze. A feeling of shame washed over her. That had been downright disrespectful towards her father. But then again, she had to try everything to get out of this place. When she thought this she suddenly thought of Joe, the man that had been her boyfriend for the past three years. He would be looking for her. He would. She hadn't even thought about him since Jackson had made her life a chaos just a few hours ago.

He cared for her like no one else had done since her father had died. He had helped her through that difficult period in her life, he had always been there for her. A tear rolled down her cheek when she considered the possibility she might never even see him again. If Jackson's plan turned out to fail, she could easily be killed. Even when she didn't know the full version of his plan yet, she just knew it was a dangerous plan. If it wasn't because of the fact that danger couldn't be avoided then it would be just because Jackson had a fetish for danger.

"I'm just going to pack a few things for you and then we leave."

When he was out of sight Lisa's eyes immediately fell on the wallet once again. What if there was something in there she could use against him?

She made no effort in being silent this time as she made her way over to her own salon table once again. Why the hell did she have her telephone in the hall, anyway? Then she wouldn't even have to worry about the damn wallet and just call the police. But it seemed the whole lay of her apartment was now working against her. First the bathroom window, now the telephone. She sighed and tentatively took the wallet from the table. Half expecting it to explode when someone else but Jackson opened it, she kept it at arms length and looked inside. She found one photo there, it was a photo of Jackson and another guy. Somewhat surprised Lisa smiled faintly and took a closer look at the picture. Jackson and the man were in the garden, both sitting on a plastic chair and holding a beer in their hands. Jackson wasn't smiling, but Lisa could tell from his expression he didn't mind the arm around his shoulders at all. Lisa's eyes fell on the man sitting next to Jackson, and blinked a few times.

_No. This is not true. My eyes are deceiving me. Please, God, let it not be true._

And everything suddenly fell into place. Lisa remembered Jackson mentioning Joe, and just now realized she'd never even thought of how weird it was that he knew Joe's name.

Sitting next to Jackson was Joe, the man that had been her boyfriend for three years, smiling like he wasn't sitting right next to the very man that had terrorized his girlfriend in the most horrible ways for five horrible years.


End file.
